


Celebrimbor's Huts

by Tethys_resort



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Mad Scientists, Science Experiments, Weather
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-09-30 20:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20453252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tethys_resort/pseuds/Tethys_resort
Summary: Celebrimbor's inventions alarm people on a regular basis.Trigger warnings: None that I can think of....





	1. Celebrimbor’s inventions are more alarming than usual

Elrond had been sent on almost too many diplomatic trips since being named King Gil-galad’s herald 40 years before but never before had he been summoned in the middle of the night. This time Gil-galad looked nervous as Elrond poured them both tea before settling into his usual comfortable chair before the King’s desk. 

Gil-galad shuffled the pile of papers in front of him listlessly and said, “I am sending you to Celebrimbor again. We’ve heard exceptionally disturbing rumors about his latest creations.”

“Forgive me, but aren’t your advisors always disturbed by Celebrimbor’s creations?” Since the Rings and Annatar had come to light, it seemed like Elrond was being sent every couple of years to see what new terrifying creation Celebrimbor had come up with now. Simple ‘disturbing rumors’ wouldn’t be enough for Gil-galad to send a page to his room well after midnight.

Trips to visit the Gwaith-i-Mirdain tended to be educational and occasionally messy. Mostly they were harmless and weird. Elrond thought the attempts to get miniature lightning out of lemons with strips of metal interesting, the newest experiments in colored glass gorgeous and had kind of liked the statue that flexed and danced in place when sung to. 

“This time they are disturbing to me as well.” Gil-galad took a deep breath and said, “He has made more objects of Power.”

Given that the last true objects of Power had been the Rings…. Elrond picked up his tea hurriedly and took a too hot sip. 

“I have the specifics here. I think you should make sure to take Glorfindel and all of that company you call your House Guards.”

“Wait, am I being sent on a fact finding mission or a subjugation?” Tea is abruptly the wrong drink for the conversation, despite the exceptionally early (or late) hour.

***

Erestor woke up that morning in the dark just before dawn in a good mood mostly attributable to the presence of Glorfindel both in his head on the other end of a mate bond, and in his bed snuggled up in his arms. It was just early enough that he could lie there lazy (not a usual habit) and savor the fact that he finally had the mate of his dreams. 

Although, growing up he had never visualized his mate to be an overly tall, blond elf lord who snores. 

He was sleepily eyeing an ear tip showing through blond hair and contemplating waking Glorfindel with kisses (or maybe his tongue, he hadn’t decided yet) when Elrond was abruptly hammering at their door and yelling, “Erestor! Glorfindel! We’re having an early conference!”

About ten minutes later a rumpled but dressed Erestor and Glorfindel were sitting in Elrond’s office. 

“Moving machines? Like that one that ate the orchard?” Glorfindel had been impressed, but possibly for all the wrong reasons.

Elrond made tea and busily served it to his half-awake Steward and Captain of the Guard in the hopes that they would read while he poured. “Hmm…. Apparently these are more of moving buildings. Or maybe building shaped machines. The report wasn’t entirely clear but spoke of the ability to make plants grow and thrive like never before and manufacture small life forms like fish. Celebrimbor is reportedly very excited and says it will be a potent assistance in times of war. I think the King is visualizing something of true Power, like the Rings.”

All three took cups of tea, too distracted to note that Elrond was a terrible failure at tea making this morning: it was weak, lukewarm and contained enough sugar that it oozed rather than sloshing.

“But as a building?” Glorfindel imagined a Device of Power the size of a building that could create new life forms and shuddered, now completely awake. 

Erestor was hurriedly reading through the report. Elrond was concerned to see him chewing his lower lip as he read, a rarely seen sign of extreme nerves. 

Finally, as Erestor finished the document, he stared at it and said, “A potential superweapon that could turn the tide of war out where it could be abused, lost, captured or sold. What has the King ordered? Are we going as a diplomatic mission to get Celebrimbor to hand it over or does he think he’s been compromised by Annatar? Does he expect us to go and retrieve this thing by force?”

Erestor finally looked up from the document at Elrond in appeal and horror. “Another pretty bauble to fight over…”

War and the Kinslayings hung silent and horrible in the air for a moment. 

All three elves remembered what the Kinslayings looked like and only Glorfindel, despite a whole host of other battles, hadn’t been in the middle of one. Elrond had survived the slaughter at Sirion. Erestor was very still, he had fought on the attacking Feanorian side at the Doriath and Sirion massacres. 

Elrond looked straight into Erestor’s eyes. “I personally believe Celebrimbor both too stubborn and too honorable to ever join Annatar and we are NOT going with intent for war against other elves. And no matter what the King orders I will NOT be a party to a FOURTH Kinslaying.” 

Especially with the horror of the Oath of Feanor in mind he could promise that much to Erestor. Even if they all had to die or suddenly sail to Valinor he would not start another Kinslaying.

“We will go as diplomatic contingent and find out what Celebrimbor has made and what he plans. THEN I will make a decision on what must be done. We will plan for the worst, and then go hoping that the information we have received is somehow faulty and we will have the best possible outcome.” Elrond sounded as firm as possible in the face of so much uncertainty. 

The three began planning the contingent that would depart late that afternoon. 

Then, plans made and delivered to various sections, Erestor and Glorfindel finally returned to their rooms to wash up, dress properly and pack. 

Glorfindel closed the room door behind them and they stood silent and motionless in their little living room. Erestor was staring at the floor, in all these years they had never talked about the Kinslayings. He had done his best to forget about that entire Age because there is no way to soften the truth: he is a murderer. He wondered if, now that it had become obvious, Glorfindel would regret bonding with him. 

He was still staring at the floor when Glorfindel’s arm wrapped around his shoulders and dragged him off balance. He was too tall to simply pick up that way but he ended up sprawled across Glorfindel’s lap in the middle of their couch, pinned tightly to Glorfindel’s chest with one arm.

He still couldn’t think of a thing to say. But Glorfindel said, “Sshh…” as he tucked Erestor’s head under his chin and used his free hand to stroke his hair and back. 

Through the bond Glorfindel said, _“We both have regrets, good memories and bad.”_ It had always been rather obvious to Glorfindel that Erestor had both fought at the Kinslayings AND hated that fact. 

Erestor had forgotten for a moment that just as he would always be there for Glorfindel, Glorfindel would always be there for him. He snuggled closer, he would just stay here for a few minutes and listen to the sound of his mate’s heart….

***

Elrond, Erestor, Glorfindel and a small contingent of Guard traveled East. It was a quiet trip. They had packed light, worn very light armor and carried arms such that they could fight their way out and run if they (Valar-forbid) had to. 

They had left behind a King holding a secret and waiting for answers that may or may not mean war.

They left a pair of Guards in hiding along the road at each evening camp. Somehow, someone would survive to carry a message back to the Palace.

Even as they rode into Eregion and toward Ost-in-Edhil the countryside and small farms were as peaceful as ever. The weather was relatively warm and still, something they were all thankful for as they were sleeping in bedrolls. (No one is ever happy with a wet bedroll.)

A day’s ride out from Ost-in-Edhil and the road guard had simply and cheerfully let them pass. 

That night though, the weather abruptly turned very cold and with an incredible wind straight from the east. It was one of those weather shifts where the pressure changes so fast that your ears hurt and old bone breaks ache. 

There were no hills, rock piles or stands of trees for shelter. It was too windy to make fires and they ended up hobbling the horses in the lee of some pathetic little bushes already bent double under the force of the relentless gale. The best shelter went to the horses and the elves were left to lie scattered into dips in the ground clutching their bedrolls lest the blankets be blown right off their bodies.

Elrond staggered into the dip where Erestor and Glorfindel had taken cover and sat down next to them. Despite the concerns that had brought him looking for them he had to laugh: the pair had rolled themselves up in one bedroll in such a way that they looked like a large carpet lying abandoned by the road. Only Glorfindel’s braid stuck out, the incandescent gold flapping in the wind. 

He tried to talk to the roll, and started coughing with another lungful of powdery soil from the nearby farms. Mid cough a large arm appeared out of the bedroll, snagged Elrond and dragged him inside. He blinked dust out of his eyes to discover himself snugged up next to Erestor in the lee of Glorfindel, who was lying on his side with his back to the wind. The blanket was only doing a moderate job of keeping out the wind but at least this way he can breathe. 

“Elrond, were you looking for us?” Glorfindel seemed unperturbed that he is being used as shelter and a wind block. 

“I think I see why all those farmhouses we passed today had such thick stone walls, if this is the weather they get occasionally.” Erestor, despite being pinned between Glorfindel and Elrond, sounded completely comfortable. Elrond relaxed a little. 

“Erestor, is this wind natural then? I don’t feel anything evil in the air but I was worried that it was some sort of trick by Annatar and was wondering if you or Glorfindel could tell.” 

Of the many times he had been given lectures by Erestor this was one of the more surreal. Erestor chuckled, “This wind is what is called a katabatic wind, you get them some times of the year next to large mountain ranges as the weather changes and cold air moves off the mountains.”

Glorfindel added, “We saw them on the Grinding Ice sometimes as the weather warmed. The best thing to do was lie there, hold on to everyone and wait for it to slow down.” Glorfindel has no good memories of the Grinding Ice, but at least the great winds had only tried to blow stuff away rather than crush helpless elves hiding in ice pit shelters. 

“I think the best thing to do is hunker down for tonight and hope that the winds at least lighten by tomorrow morning. The worst of it shouldn’t last too far past dawn. Do you want to just stay here for now?” Whereas Elrond is honestly slightly unnerved by the weather, Erestor sounds like he is inviting Elrond to join them on a bench for one of the occasional music evenings in their wing of the Palace. 

Elrond wiggled enough to stick his head out of the blankets and promptly got another face full of dirt. Spluttering, he wiggled back down, “I think I will for now.” Its either that or return to his own windy, lonely bedroll and lonely thoughts.

They lay in comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to the roar of the wind rise and fall. Then Erestor said, “Tomorrow afternoon we’ll reach Ost-in-Edhil.”

Glorfindel grumbled slightly before he said, “And we still don’t have any more information about these Devices of Power.”

“On the contrary, we have learned a lot so far. Absence of evidence is evidence in and of itself.” Erestor sounded slightly miffed at Glorfindel and Elrond hoped they weren’t going to decide to have yet another debate while he is hiding from the wind with them. 

“True enough,” said Glorfindel. “It is very peaceful here.”

At Elrond’s look Erestor elaborated, “These are very quiet farmsteads, no one is alarmed and moving their children towards safety. There is none of the trash, filth and wreckage that Morgoth always left in his wake. Even this blasted wind is clean and pure, if you discount the fact that it is full of dust.” 

Glorfindel added, “I cannot feel anything evil in the air, ground or wind. Just the normal Power of the world. Elrond, without that report I would assume that all was well in Ost-in-Edhil.”

Elrond sighed and went a little limp. “So you two say that the likelihood is growing that the entire thing is a misunderstanding?”

Glorfindel smiled and Erestor said, “I think that Annatar isn’t here and so that removes the worst of all our scenarios.” He paused and then said, “Would you like to hear about Oliphants?”

“Oliphants?” Elrond blinked at Erestor. What’s an Oliphant?

Elrond drifted off to Erestor describing giant gray, wrinkled creatures that lived in the far, far South. He awoke briefly when the changing watch reported to Glorfindel but otherwise slept peacefully until dawn for the first time since he had been awakened by the King.

By dawn the wind was much lighter, by noon the wind almost gone and it was getting hot again. It was a few hours after noon when they found the wreckage. 

One of the outriders spotted it gleaming in the sun at the base of a cliff, a sparkling pile of broken glass, shards of wood and twisted metal. They rode over and dismounted for a closer look. 

Erestor walked around one side, stepping over the giant metal feet with their three toes curled like a dead bird’s. And stooped to pick up a board and look underneath at where the two giant metal jointed legs attached to the structure. “Based on the legs I think it was supposed to walk under its own power. But what do you suppose it was supposed to be?”

Glorfindel reached carefully into a mess of glass and pulled out the top half of a tomato plant. “It was a greenhouse! Look, you can see where the four walls were. And over here it had a glass door.” He gestured with the battered plant, “These were bins to hold vegetable plants and that thing upside down held fish.”

They all looked, sure enough there were the pathetic little corpses of silvery river carp. Elrond kicked an emptied tub over, exposing a pile of wires and a box decorated with a Feanorian star. “I think this was the Power that ran it. What is it doing out here?”

There was silence as they contemplated the greenhouse. Then Glorfindel said, “Do you suppose this could be the Device of Power?”

Erestor and Elrond gaped at him and he shrugged, “Moves under its own power and when properly maintained produces vegetables and fish.”

Put that way it makes a weird sort of sense. “Why put a greenhouse on legs?” Especially legs that are about two elves in height… Elrond previously associated greenhouses with luxury and exotic flowers from the far South. Now he is going to be seeing these things in nightmares.

And if this was the “Device of Power” he wanted to strangle both Celebrimbor and whoever made the emergency report.

“I had greenhouses, in Gondolin.” Glorfindel sounded a little wistful. “They were wonderful.”

There was a moment of blank silence and then Elrond said, “Did they move?”

“No, but they were great for growing things like broccoli and fresh herbs through the winter. Or starting plants early in the spring. You know, like the little glass jars the gardeners at the Palace use.”

Elrond tried to mentally compare the large blown glass vases the gardeners put out in the gardens to the walking glass shed lying in pieces in front of him. 

“It would have been nice if we could move them though, we were always losing panes to falling debris or heavy snow and the mountains made getting enough sunshine really difficult. I always wanted to try hot peppers but the greenhouses just weren’t sunny enough.” 

“Don’t tell me you think this idea of Celebrimbor’s is a good one?” Probably because the Feanorians had never used greenhouses, Erestor sounded disturbed at the discovery that his mate likes them. Or maybe he would be less disturbed if the first greenhouse he had ever encountered had been the normal stationary sort.

“Well, I would have tried putting a greenhouse in a cart or something. Not give it legs to walk itself someplace….”

Glorfindel’s second in command, spoke up, “Lord Elrond, I believe this greenhouse thing escaped and an attempt to stop it impeded its ability to maneuver and ultimately caused it to fall off the cliff.” She pointed to a trailing length of rope that had been wrapped around both legs into a tangled mess.

“There are fresh horse tracks leading to and from the road, my Lord. If this did escape from Ost-in-Edhil, they have already been out to survey the site.” The outrider had ridden up as they continued to examine the wreckage.

They were only a couple of hours from the city, it would be easy for a group to have ridden out. Elrond remounted and prepared to return to the road. Erestor kept kicking his way through the pile. Glorfindel asked, “Are you looking for something?”

Erestor, apparently satisfied with kicking, knelt and began cutting the box with the Feanorian star free. “I was making sure that was the source of movement. I don’t want it to get up and start following us down the road or something.”

He and Glorfindel tied the box to the top of his packs and they all continued toward Ost-in-Edhil. 

As they rode, Elrond listened to Glorfindel tell Erestor about greenhouses. “I kept trying to grow orange trees every time we got a fruit, I could never keep them warm enough through the winter.” 

“And one time we got this really weird fruit called a pomegranate!” His face fell a little, “I managed to grow some of them in one greenhouse but they were lost during the Fall I suppose.”

Erestor said, “Do you know what region they came from? Maybe we can import one and you can try again.”


	2. The high speed life of greenhouses

Glorfindel had been waxing eloquent about growing things in containers, greenhouses and terraces for the last couple of hours with Erestor egging him on and adding his own ideas. It was interesting to listen to. Elrond thought that if they weren’t headed toward war with Annatar, his Steward and Captain of the Guard would be very happy building and running a small city or fortress. 

And he quickly decided that if it ever becomes an option, he is ordering a greenhouse built for Glorfindel. At the very least it would provide fresh healing herbs and endless entertainment for Elrond. 

They were about one hour from the city when they spotted a rider galloping away from them into the city. So it was no surprise when they reached the city limits and were immediately greeted by one of Celebrimbor’s city guards. 

The elf in question was wearing the rank markings of a senior officer but was rather the worse for wear. He had a massively bruised face and one arm was in a splint. He said, “Lord Elrond? Your coming is unexpected but very welcome! Can you please attend patients in the House of Healing? We have a medical emergency.”

Elrond immediately swung off his horse and followed the officer. At Glorfindel’s gesture, half of their remaining Guard trotted after him. Glorfindel and Erestor dismounted and began to walk in their wake. Neither could feel or see anything amiss, but this would be the perfect way to set up an ambush. 

Halfway to the House of Healing they ran into Celebrimbor, who had spotted the party approaching and come toward the gates at best speed to greet them. Celebrimbor had definitely had a rough adventure of some sort. He had long scrape marks running from forehead to chin, one ear was carefully bandaged, and both eyes were blackened. He also had a pronounced limp that visibly slowed him down from his usual brisk pace. 

“Cousin, well met! After last night we have an overload of injuries, can you assist us?” 

Elrond, already on his way into the building, did not pause for the greeting but Erestor and Glorfindel did. Celebrimbor watched Elrond go with a smile, he had petitioned the King (who had had ward of Elrond until he came of age) several times right after the War to let Elrond move to Ost-in-Edhil with him but been turned down. Apparently it would create too many political problems. But he could and would call him “cousin”, after all Uncle Maedhros and Uncle Maglor had adopted him.

“Injuries? Was there damage during the wind?” Erestor had glanced at buildings as they came in and seen no damage. 

“In a manner of speaking. The Gwaith-i-Mirdain has been working on a new project and we hit a snag during the Howling Wind last night…. Come, I’ll show you the parts I can.” Celebrimbor beckoned Glorfindel and Erestor in the direction of the main workshops as he started to limp off. Glorfindel motioned the rest of the Guard on a quiet search of the town as they followed.

Outside of a battlefield hospital, Elrond had never seen so many injured from one single disaster. Dwarf and elven smiths lay interspersed on the beds with the city guard. There were lacerations, internal injuries, crushed appendages, concussions, broken bones and dislocations. The attending dwarrow and elven Healers were excited to see Elrond: untired and strong enough to heal some of the things they could not. 

Elrond ordered the Guard that had followed him to work portaging supplies and started in on a share of the wounds that needed actual Healing talents. 

Erestor and Glorfindel stared at the hand-tall model of a greenhouse on delicate, spindly bird legs as Celebrimbor continued talking. When poked it shuffled off a few steps. Glorfindel was managing to make it walk in little circles about the table by flicking it in its “knees”.

“Then, as the wind rose they all tried to follow their Sung instructions to seek safer ground when in danger. We tried to stop them but they moved unpredictably in the wind and we couldn’t get them to shut down.” Celebrimbor paused, “Apparently there was a fault somewhere in the Singing and we overbuilt them so they could move over any terrain and be safe on battlefields. Attempting to shut them down manually or by force with ropes didn’t work and they are armored against axes and swords.”

Erestor and Glorfindel looked at the drag marks running down Celebrimbor’s face as he continued, “Thank the Valar, no one was killed in the chaos. I have guards out tracking them but with so many injuries we will be hard pressed to send retrieval teams for several weeks.”

Erestor visualized greenhouses running about the landscape towing hapless elves and dwarves after them. “How many got away?”

“Six, but we verified one destroyed to the west of town. Perhaps you saw it on the way in?”

It was well past dark when they all regrouped at their usual lodging hall. The Guards that had accompanied Elrond had seen fit to carry him back despite his protests that he was fine. He was now working his way through ridiculous amounts of food while Glorfindel and Erestor told him about the escape of the greenhouses. 

Glorfindel ended with, “It appears that they have been armored against combat damage and Sung to be agile and avoid obstacles. Bringing one down would require either pinning or disabling it long enough to remove the box holding the Power and Songs directing its motion.”

Elrond sighed, “And these are definitely the source of the rumors?”

“Yes, neither Glorfindel nor I have heard, seen or felt anything in town remotely suspicious. I think we can safely inform the King that there is no horrible Device of Power about to create another catastrophe.” Erestor rolled his eyes, “I am worried though about the affect walking buildings will have on populations unprepared for their arrival.”

Now fed, Elrond was looking more and more exhausted, “Okay, we’ll have to send word back. And I think we should help Celebrimbor catch the things. Staff meeting in the morning.” He swayed as he stood up from the table. “I am going to retire for tonight.”

Erestor said, “How many more injured will you need to see tomorrow?” He hates watching Elrond run himself into the ground but hasn’t yet figured out how to prevent it when there are injured to be treated.

Elrond swayed farther and Glorfindel slipped out of his seat and ghosted around behind him. “None, I got the worst today. The rest have been treated by the other healers.” He turned and glared at Glorfindel, who was trying to look innocent. “And I can walk fine.”

Elrond walked off slightly unsteady in the direction of his bedroom upstairs. It was a sign of his exhaustion that he didn’t notice Glorfindel tiptoeing along behind in case his Lord overbalanced and fell back down the stairs. 

***

The next morning’s meeting was held on the grass under a group of large trees so that the Gwaith-i-Mirdain and city guard officers who were only injured enough that sitting upright in a chair (or walking) was difficult, could attend. Celebrimbor and his dwarf counterpart efficiently handed jobs to the most mobile and least injured of the elves and dwarves to start cleaning up the mess.

Elrond offered his contingent of Guard to help track and disable greenhouses. He didn’t like the thought of the panic they could cause as they ran over and through unsuspecting populations. 

Meeting over, Celebrimbor sat down with them under the tree to iron out the last details. “So Gil-galad was alarmed? I should have sent a message explaining my project, I guess. I never thought that anyone would find greenhouses that alarming: I mean; they are just huts with glass sides.”

He looked out across the open area. Quite a few of the Gwaith-i-Mirdain had decided to just nap under a tree in the park rather than trying to move back inside. “Narvi was always telling me I needed to think my plans through from beginning to end and test them for flaws before actually building things.”

“I seem to remember it being something more like, ‘Khel you pointy eared airhead! Draft, plan, troubleshoot and THEN build a test model!’” The elf in question was snickering as she tried to emulate the dwarf’s gruff roar. She was sprawled in the shade of the next tree with a splinted leg and crutches beside her.

Elrond had a long-held, quiet suspicion that if Narvi had been alive when Annatar had appeared in Ost-in-Edhil there would have been some arguments with axes and the Rings never would have been made. 

Elrond winced slightly, he had a headache after yesterday and was still hungry. “The first order of business is to get word back to the King before he decides to send an army.” He looked at Erestor and Glorfindel. He will need Glorfindel if they are using the Guard to track and destroy the greenhouses. Erestor as Steward has the rank to easily meet the King with a private message. 

Erestor paused, torn looking. He obviously did not want to return to Lindon.

Through their bond, Glorfindel can faintly hear the voice of memories in Erestor’s head, _“Well then Little Erestor, I give you complete freedom from service and your oaths. Will you follow my sons and help keep them safe? Or will you run fast and far to where none have ever heard of the Oath and live your days in peace?”_

He knows that voice. _‘Help keep them safe.’_ Glorfindel reflected that they have always shied away from discussing anything in the First Age. He really should ask his mate one day.

For now, he can help Erestor’s quandary. There is no chance in Arda of Elrond simply staying in Ost-in-Edhil or riding tamely back to Lindon while leaving the Guard behind. So he’ll make sure that Erestor stays with Elrond (and then as a bonus he can stay with Erestor too).

Glorfindel said, “Erestor and I will travel with Lord Elrond and I will set the other three groups with a good balance of skills.” He had brought the most experienced Guard with him, just in case, and it gave him a surplus of talent now when splitting the groups. And Erestor’s inclusion is easily justified as he is vicious in a fight and can act as both advisor and bodyguard.

Even better, he can come up with good reasons that his as yet very green second in command should return to Lindon. “I will send my lieutenant back with a message for the King and a full description of the walking greenhouses. She can pick up the Guard along our back trail as she goes and get some more experience at command.”

Reports from Celebrimbor’s scouts gave general locations of the greenhouses. Two had headed up Caradhras Pass, one team would be sent after them. Glorfindel figured that the boxy things were likely to slip and topple off a cliff, easily disabling the buildings but making retrieval of the all-important Power source difficult. 

Three more had headed south and west. Each of the three remaining groups would follow a device and look for a chance to disable it before returning to Ost-in-Edhil. The Guard under Glorfindel was extremely efficient and all the groups were supplied and headed off on their own missions by lunch.

Erestor, Glorfindel, Elrond and their small group of Guard headed south. Tracking the giant feet of their building was not difficult but the trail was aggravating. It had run in giant circles for two days just south of Eregion and then crossed the Glanduin River and gone straight south some more. 

In a straight line it was as fast as a good horse. Fortunately, it was more erratic most of the time. It zigged and zagged across the gentle hills south of the river, scaring herds of wild cattle and the occasional isolated group of Men. 

One very aged Man with a flock of sheep told them in clear but oddly accented Sindarin, “It just come over that rise and run down through the valley before circling my sheep round and round like a damn wolf. I yelled and it run off.” 

Elrond had given him tea for his arthritis and thanked him. They tried to speed up from there without hurting the horses. Soon they would be in the farming colonies of Numenor and the damage would be more than “circling like a wolf”.

Having looked through the records of what had been Sung to the greenhouse Erestor was highly skeptical that it had run away when yelled at. He had discovered the cause of the initial disaster: they had been Sung to avoid bad weather as a greater priority than any attempts to manually shut it down.

Finally, they caught up with it in a small valley just before a major town of Men. 

Elrond watched the runaway building as it cornered yet again, following the meandering breeze across the front of the hills. Sooner rather than later, probably as the sun went down, conditions would shift and the Valar-damned thing would run right over the hills and into farmyards and houses of the Men.

Elrond was getting very tired of perpetually trailing the thing and beginning to visualize following it all the way to the Southern Sea. If he could just catch up, maybe he could climb on and pull the connection between legs and control. On impulse, he urged his horse into a wild gallop designed to cut in front of the path of the greenhouse as it came around the valley again.

Erestor said, “Oh no.” And spurred his horse after his Lord.

Glorfindel was caught off guard but the longer legs of his horse caught him up with Erestor quickly. “What is it?” he yelled. 

Elrond reached the greenhouse and his horse turned to pace it. In a quick motion he yanked his feet from the stirrups, smoothly pulled himself into a ball on the saddle and made a massive leap toward the greenhouse.

Glorfindel gasped, even for an elf it was impressive and he somehow had gotten used to (despite daily weapons and riding practice) the idea of Elrond peacefully walking the halls of the Palace and riding quietly off on diplomatic missions. Not the trained half-elf lord who had lived through the War of Wrath.

Elrond landed on the front of the building with an audible thump and scrambled into the toeholds of the doorway. 

Erestor yelled, “Keep the thing running straight.” as he moved into one side of the greenhouse and pulled a foot loose from a stirrup to kick it hard in a metal leg joint. At the kick it dodged straight again instead of turning. Glorfindel moved into position on the other side to do the same. The horses wouldn’t be able to hold this pace long so he hoped Elrond hurried up with whatever he was doing. 

Elrond managed to slide through the broken front window without damage and landed with an ungainly splat in the middle of the muddy greenhouse floor before looking around for a box marked with a Feanorian star. 

By appearances, the spinach doesn’t like the fast paced life of their greenhouse. 

He spotted the box. Yanking it free should stop the greenhouse but a moment of consideration, and a glance at the heavy pottery, heavy tubs of water and a whole collection of pruning shears cemented the thought that he doesn’t want to be in the greenhouse when it suddenly stops. 

He kicked the door out of its frame and carefully checked handholds. Then grabbed the box, yanked it free, pitched it out and leaped after it toward the top frame of the door. He managed to swing out and over the roof ledge and up so that with a twist he landed in a rolling heap on the roof. He rolled down the roof and into space behind the greenhouse as its legs crumpled and it crashed to the ground. 

Turf always looks so soft but rarely is when landing from a height. Elrond skidded end over end until he ran out of momentum and lay breathless, nose first in the grass next to the wreckage. 

“That was reckless!” Glorfindel is certain that if elves aged he’d just gained several thousand years.

Erestor took a deep breath as they turned the horses back towards their Lord, now picking himself up and dusting himself off. “He gets it from his father.”

“Earendil?” Glorfindel visualized Earendil as he had last seen him: a tiny blond child laughing as Ecthelion showed him how to play a willow whistle.

“No, Lord Maglor. Lord Maedhros always planned carefully before doing something completely crazy but this exactly the sort of stupid stunt Lord Maglor would pull! What in the Pits of Morgoth do you think you were doing? You could easily have been killed!” Erestor’s volume was rising as they got closer to Elrond until the last line was delivered at the top of his lungs. 

The Guards who had accompanied them had been confused and stunned when their Lord had galloped off and failed to react fast enough to keep up. Now they started to regroup next to the destroyed greenhouse. One dismounted and started pulling the parts they needed to take home out of the wreckage. The rest scattered backward again at Erestor’s shouting, regrouping at a safe distance from the angry Steward.

Elrond was dusty and his armor a little battered but he had a happy smile on his face as he surveyed the greenhouse wreckage. Erestor yelling didn’t seem to be making a dent in his mood. “That was great, I haven’t had so much fun in years!” he said. 

Erestor was audibly grinding his teeth. And broadcasting terror-turned fury down the bond to Glorfindel. 

Considering the relative ease with which Elrond had made the jump from moving horse to moving building, Glorfindel said, “I think I should make the obstacle course harder.” And was shot a furious look by his mate who turned and trotted his horse back toward where they had abandoned their gear earlier without another word to any of them.

They gathered their gear and started the long walk home. After that run, the horses wouldn’t be up to any speed for at least a day. As they reached the mouth of the valley and turned north, Erestor was still not talking to anyone. Glorfindel wasn’t particularly disturbed: HE hasn’t done anything and it’s best to let Erestor cool off a little after the fright Elrond gave all of them. 

That night as they set up camp Erestor set his bedroll under Glorfindel’s as extra padding without a word and after eating dinner silently, snuggled into his usual position against Glorfindel’s chest. _“I love you.”_ he thought quietly to Glorfindel. Glorfindel kissed the top of his head.

***

Until that moment, Haldir’s day had been very quiet. The first sign of anything amiss was a bizarre metallic crashing and thudding that reminded him of the machines in Khazad-dum. Haldir shook his head to himself, dwarves are strange beings, even for Mortals: ever doing obscure, loud and smelly projects that disturb the peace of his forest. 

Then the machine swung into view running down the course of the Celebrant River. By the time it made it over Caradhras Pass, the greenhouse had lost most of its glass, the roof, a fair amount of trim and the original rectangular shape. 

Haldir and the other elves holding that border of Lothlorien stared at the thing: square-ish with a jagged top and losing bits of glass as it ran unevenly on enormous bird legs. It seemed to have no definite method of navigation and indeed was crushing small things (like the crossing boat) in its path. As it got closer Haldir blinked in surprise. Did the thing have frost burnt sunflowers sticking out the top?

Despite the unfamiliarity of the interloper, the border guard attacked as it crossed. It had completely ignored their commands to halt. 

Arrows had no discernable effect except to break more glass off of the running structure. A brave (and possibly stupid) guard with a sword only managed to ruin the edge of his blade and nearly be stepped on. Finally, as it dodged through the trees and paralleled the border for a moment, Haldir ordered heavy ropes to be strung between the trees in the hope of slowing it down or caging it.

The ropes snapped under the force but ended up wrapped around the legs along with small bushes and other debris. It dragged itself forward, gears making high pitched whining noises before crashing to the ground as it pulled up a small tree. 

Once it was down, every border guard in the area descended on it and dismembered it utterly before sending for the closest lords to help identify the thing: Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. They also pulled a tub of tiny river carp, whose function was not immediately obvious, out of its belly and set them aside to be safely returned to the river later. 

Lady Galadriel stared with compressed lips at the destroyed machine cluttering up a brand new meadow in the edge of the forest and said nothing. No one wanted to ask her what she thought it was or where it had come from. It was Lord Celeborn who pointed out that it had probably been some sort of walking greenhouse. At least based on the fish, sunflowers and an entire crop of beets unearthed in the wreckage. 

***

It took Elrond, Erestor and Glorfindel until they reached Ost-in-Edhil to hear the fate of the four other greenhouses. One team of Elrond’s Guards had managed to knock one off a cliff high enough to disable it until they could disconnect the power. A second was the victim of the cliffs in Caradhras Pass. 

The third, yet another team of Elrond’s Guards had managed to stop by lighting it aflame and burning it as it ran. Glorfindel was angry, and had already assigned them more training because they had nearly managed burn down the forest as well.

The fourth was the one Elrond had managed to destroy.

And for the fifth, there was a contingent from Lothlorien led by a stony faced Lord Celeborn. He had “some words from Lady Galadriel for Lord Celebrimbor.” 

It was only later, all the way back in Lothlorien again that Celeborn started laughing at the total chaos of Ost-in-Edhil as he related the story of the runaway greenhouses to Galadriel and Celebrian. 


End file.
